In the case of a compact disc, for example, the case for the disc, in addition to holding the compact disc which contains the recorded sound, is provided on its face with a photographic or artistic display which is designed to convey a certain mood or impression or to enhance the appearance of the disc to make it aesthetically appealing. Therefore it is advantageous to have an apparatus for supporting and displaying compact discs in a manner which will make the artistic display, usually present on the face of the disc, prominently and fully visible.
It is desirable to support or store the compact disc in its case in apparatus which provides a fully visible display and also provides easy and ready access to the stored objects so they can be easily inserted or removed from the apparatus. In some cases disc cases placed vertically may also create a glare or reflection which may partially obscure the art work contained inside the case, particularly as is usual, when the case is made of a clear, smooth plastic. The ability to support a compact disc case at an angle helps to alleviate this condition. It is also found that the angle at which the displayed compact discs should be supported for optimum viewing will depend to a substantial extent on whether the discs are at, above or below the line of vision of the viewer. A disc case above the line of vision of the viewer may be seen best if it leans forward at the top, while one below the line of vision of the viewer may be best viewed if it leans back at the top. If a disc case is at the viewer's eye level it may be best seen if held in a vertical position.
Previous attempts have been made to provide apparatus for storing compact discs but most of the prior apparatus is capable of supporting a disc only at a single fixed angle which may or may not be best suited for the prevailing conditions.
In other prior art structures the compact disc case is attached to a display rack by adhesive or other securing means such as hook and loop fabric and/or the cases are held in such manner that they cannot be easily gripped with the fingers for removal of a particular case from a display without disrupting or removing other cases. Some of the prior art devices require complex structures which are difficult and expensive to manufacture and difficult to use.
Finally, many of the prior art device have retaining means or frames extending around two or more sides of the case so that they obscure a substantial portion of the art work, thus not taking full advantage of making the display pleasing to the observer.
The instant invention provides simple, effective structure which grips only one edge of a compact disc case and causes minimal obstruction of art work on the face of the disc case.